Last November, I had Custom Wavefront IntraLasik with a top-rated doctor. While placing my flaps back, my left eye wrinkled twice and my right eye wrinkled once. While I had a handful of the initial side effects of Lasik after my operation, most of these went away with the exception of two ghosts in my right eye and one in my left.

The first right eye ghost is in the 12 o'clock and it's sharp. My main image with this eye usually appears blurry than the ghost. The second right eye ghost is in the 6 o'clock position and it's soft. My left eye ghost is closer to the 2 o'clock position and it is also faint.

I have been disappointed with the doctor that I chose, because over the course of 8-months each follow-up I met with a tech for the refraction exam and an OD who worked below the doctor who performed my surgery. Working with the techs, they understood that I always had trouble interpreting letters with the refraction exam. I explained to them that with my left eye, I could make out the 12 o'clock ghost from the blur — but it takes time. To my frustration, the OD and doctor review my charts and see that I can mostly understand the line right above 20/20 with my left eye. To a greater frustration, the OD suggested the ghosting may be due to the wrinkles, while the doctor wanted to send me away with a prescription for night vision glasses to reduce glare. I was shocked and frustrated that nobody is really investigating or questioning my ghosting, so I have scheduled an exam for a second opinion with another doctor this Wednesday. I also called the eye doctor's office this morning out of frustration that the OD was suggesting the wrinkles may be at fault, but ultimately the final say was with the doctor who suggested I just get night vision glasses.

My doctor didn't want to operate on my eyes again. He suggested working on eyes is like trying to perfect a diamond. The diamond cutter has cut a nearly flawless diamond with the exception of a small quirk. If he were to go in and fix that little quirk, it's more likely to make it worse than to make it any better.

I tell you, because my doctor isn't confident correction would be worthwhile I'm hesitant getting a second opinion and having anything further done to my eyes. However I want to learn more about wrinkles and ghosting. Is there a link? I don't find it a coincidence that I have two ghosts in the eye that wrinkled twice and one in the eye that wrinkled only once. The ghosts appear sharp, so I can only imagine having crystal clear vision IF the ghosts could be properly corrected.

I read something somewhere about an astigmatism as well. I think I had that, although I don't know if that was addressed. I don't know any further information to provide, although I'm GREATLY interested in any help. My eye doctor has offered to let me go back in for another refraction exam, although I don't believe this addresses the ghosting issue — nobody has examined me for my ghosting, which is the strangest thing since I've told them from day 1 that's my main complication that I've faced.

One last quirk is reduced night vision. My eyes seem to have a lower contrast in dark rooms or candle lit restaurants. This is honestly livable in my book… Not ideal, but it's not as annoying as ghosting. I still can't help but admit I'm scared that there's a possibility corrective surgery could make things worse……… I have had so many friends and family that have had Lasik without any issues that I chose to make the jump only to be one of the ones with complications that I had never experienced before.

1) If you have lost confidence with your Doctor, then get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. Your eyes are too precious to risk.

2) Consider legal action and WATCH THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS!! Once it has passed, you will lose your rights to seek justice if the victim of malpractice. There are attorneys well versed in this area, or so I have read.

I received a second opinion this afternoon and the doctor believes my astigmatism is causing my ghosting. From articles that I have read on-line, I believe this is true. I'm confused why the doctor who performed the surgery on me never mentioned this. I know from my time with glasses that I have an astigmatism. During my exam leading into Lasik, technicians discussed my astigmatism. I never heard anything about it afterward, so I thought nothing more of it until I read articles and received the second opinion. It may cost me to pursue corrective surgery from another doctor, although I don't find the chances that I could negotiate corrective surgery on this with my original doctor worthwhile considering all of the follow-up's have proven to be a waste of my time.

The doctor told me with astigmatisms they usually don't do anything if astigmatisms are a step 1 or 2. When it's a step 3, it's a discussion between the doctor and patient. When it's a step 4, it's usually a no-brainer to have it fixed. My left eye has a step 4 astigmatism. My right eye has a step 3 astigmatism.

I can see well enough out of my right eye that I don't want to consider having it corrected unless my left performs better than my right after surgery.

Although also on my second opinion, I was told that it's likely too late to address the micro-wrinkles in my eyes. They don't believe that's causing the ghosting though, since my astigmatism is a step 3 and 4.

Hello, tai. One thing you mentioned resonates with me: "I was shocked and frustrated that nobody is really investigating or questioning my ghosting". What I found when I returned a year after the surgery was that the assistant (I've only seen the surgeon once, when he performed the surgery) had very little curiosity in what was wrong with my eyes. She would answer any questions I had but it was up to me to think of the questions. She didn't take any initiative in trying to get to the bottom of things. I expected more of a proactive approach from her. She is the optometrist, afterall. I would imagine she's had people who had similar complaints about their eyes. Bottom line: they don't give any thought to your eyes except when you're there. There's no serious attempt to figure out what the problem is. No checklist of things to help to better understand what went wrong and what can be done to remedy the problem.

A question for you. What does step 1, 2, 3, etc. mean when referring to astigmatism? I haven't heard that term used to describe astigmatism.

Like you, I know people who have had Lasik and have had no real issues (though their eyes have fluctuated somewhat from time to time). That makes it even worse. Why me-again? And again...and again. When luck plays a part I'm always in trouble.

Also like you, I'm debating over whether to have an "enhancement". Things are bad enough where my vision is almost always on my mind to some extent. My left eye often feels odd and there is often pressure in my left temple. The right one is acceptable but even it is far from perfect. The problem is that an enhancement might make it worse. My vision is not debilitating but it hinders my quality of life. Now that I know how far from perfect Lasik is I'm much more reluctant to undergo another procedure.

I literally have been thinking, "Well, at least when I die I won't have to deal with this anymore." That's probably not a good thing.

Tai - From what I've learned, as I also experience glare (not sure about "ghosting", though) and starbursting, AND I have wrinkles in one flap and striae in the other, is that there can be irregular astigmatism and regular. If you had astigmatism before, I'm guessing yours is regular and can more likely be fixed than mine, which was induced by my surgery and, from what I understand, uncorrectable. I am also very afraid of undergoing another procedure thinking it could come out even worse, AND I've had a heck of a time with healing and dry eyes. I can't imagine the stress of proceeding with legal procedures on top of all this, and I've resorted to the fact that we're all human, and humans can make errors. If there was any human error involved, I'm trying to find the part of me that can forgive - oh blah, blah, blah - is what you're thinking, right? Well anyway - if anyone can correct my understanding of this, please feel free. I'm trying to learn as much as I can and don't want to pass along misinformation. Good Luck to you.

If you were the victim of malpractice then you owe it to yourself and others to follow through. How would you feel if your ordeal could have been avoided had someone else before you taken legal action? How many eyes might you save by getting a bad practitioner a little notice? Besides, if you are the victim isn't compensation appropriate? To deny yourself this would be to sanction negligence & worse. In short, don't let the b*stards win.

Now, of course, this all assumes that there is malpractice or worse. Only you, doctors you trust & a capable attorney can tell you that.

I have spoken to a lawyer with regard to my LASIK experience and I now understand that I do have a case of negligence on my hand. However I am in the state of Texas and the lawyer informed me that it is very expensive to pursue malpractice cases in my state, so it would not be good business for his office to pursue my case. He recommended I gather all my medical records and meet with other lawyers in my area. He also mentioned the doctor that performed my surgery has a consent form that makes it difficult to argue against.

Because my doctor has left me out in the cold with very little personal attention since my surgery, I feel compelled to pursue legal action. It's a scary notion for me. If anyone can provide me with insight on this, I would find it invaluable.

Regarding my vision, I am quite confused. I don't feel I have received direct answers from the office that performed the surgery on me. I have heard many conflicting reports. The most insightful and personalable attention I received was from the doctor that I met with for the second opinion. He is confident that corrective surgery will make my vision better. I took his results back to my original doctor's office hoping this would help them go "a-ha! we missed that!" but alas… They performed the tests on me, claimed my eyes must have changed in the two weeks between their visit and the second opinion exam and said they wouldn't recommend surgery for me because it would get worse more likely than anything else.

In my frustration with their response, I nearly broke down in tears. It's been a long journey this year with this. The doctor I met with did reveal that something very likely went wrong in my surgery that has induced the impairments on my vision. Oh how I wish I had that recorded… Because the doctor revealed that wasn't something written on my medical records, but something that the doctor shared with the rest of his staff off the record. My stomach fell at the sound of this.

I'm lost and confused now, not knowing if corrective surgery is best, but feeling compelled to pursue legal action in response to my doctor's inaction.

I had called three law offices in Texas, all of which said they didn't want to represent me. I was told I do have a case of malpractice, however the state of Texas makes it very difficult to sue for malpractice. The cost to start cases is higher than what my case would be worth in the end for a lawyer.

The ghosting is due to an increased astigmatism that was induced from my surgery. I don't know what causes an astigmatism during a surgery and considering my eye was numb and I was blind while my cornea flap was lifted I have no full idea what happened.

Overall the impression that I receive is that corrective surgery wouldn't completely remove my astigmatism. It may decrease it and make the ghosting less noticeable, however the lenses the doctors have shown me within the examination room don't completely remove the ghosting either.

I feel blessed to still have my site considering things could be much worse. I only hope and pray that improvements within the field of corrective surgery will advance and a more promising surgery that can remove my astigmatism will come around.

My LASIK surgeon provided a "20/20 guarantee" and sold me on a plan that said if I needed corrective surgery that they would do it. Ultimately I feel lied to with a empty marketing promise as it took a second opinion from another doctor to tell me the medical terms for what had happened with my eyes.

I had wrinkles in my cornea from the surgery, which another doctor said should have been fixed the day after I had the surgery. I have traded near sightedness for some far sightedness. And most of all, I have a lot of ghosting in my left eye. The wrinkles decrease the contrast that I can see in dark areas. The far sightedness now makes it difficult for me to see computer screens and signs at a certain distance close to me. The ghosting provides a unique perception of the world, especially at night, since I see double images. I have gotten used to all of this.

I have a peace over this, however I still wish I could find a solid solution.